WITH  COMPLIMENTS  OF 


The  Security  Investment  Company 

OF  BUFFALO,  N.  Y. 

156  AND  158  PEARL  STREET,  CORNER  CHURCH  STREET- 


CAPITAL,  - $300,000. 


Charles  A.  Sweet,  . 
John  Satterfield, 
Edmund  Haves,  . . . 

Hon.  Charles  Daniels, 
James  H.  Smith,  . . 

Walter  G.  Robbins,  . 
James  R.  Austin,  . . 

James  B.  Stafford,  . 
Richard  H.  Stafford, 
Francis  B.  Thurber,  . 

James  E.  Granniss, 
John  Loudon,  . . . 

J.  M.  Guffey,  . . . 


DIRECTORS  : 

. . . President  Third  National  Bank,  Buffalo. 

President  Union  Oil  Company,  Buffalo. 

. . . Of  the  Union  Bridge  Works,  Buffalo. 

Ex-Judge  Supreme  Court,  Buffalo. 

. . . Director  of  the  Cary  Safe  Company,  Buffalo. 

. . Vice-President  Buffalo  Fish  Company,  Buffalo. 

. . . Real  Estate,  Buffalo. 

. . . Real  Estate,  Buffalo. 

. . . Real  Estate,  Buffalo. 

President  Thurber-Whyland  Company,  wholesale  grocers, 
New  York  City. 

President  The  Tradesmen's  National  Bank,  New  York  City. 
. . . Capitalist,  Altoona,  Pa. 

. . . Capitalist,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 


This  Company  furnishes  the  investor  a safe  and  reliable  channel  through  which  he  may  place  his 
money.  Great  care  and  judgment  used  before  putting  an  investment  on  the  market.  Large  and  small 
investors  will  find  it  greatly  to  their  advantage  to  examine  the  list  of  investments  offered  by  this  Company. 
Choice  real  estate  a specialty. 

Bonds  and  mortgages  and  other  first-class  securities  handled. 


AVERY  UBRA 
COLUMBIA  UNIV 


iHe  Niagara  cataract  — source  of  buffalo’s  electric  power. 


The  New  Wonder 

of  the  World. 


BUFFALO: 

THE 

ELECTRIC 

CITY. 


By  A.  E.  RICHMOND. 


THE  MATTHEYVS-NORTHRUP  CO.,  COMPLETE  ART-PRINTING  WORKS, 
BUFFALO,  N.  Y. 


14298 


Digitized  byJhe^lntemelArchive 
in  201 7cwklDG funding  from 
Columbia  UniversHyH-ibraries 


https://archive.org/details/newwonderofworldOOrich 


IAGARA’S  voice  sings  a new  song. 

Through  countless  ages  it  has  thundered  forth  its  wild,  tumult- 


uous melody,  a pecan  to  nature  in  every  tone. 

Now  it  sings  an  anthem  to  industry,  to  science,  to  inventive 


genius,  to  commercial  prosperity. 

The  magic  wand  of  the  electrician  has  been  waved,  and  the  mighty  voice 
swells  and  roars  to  new  music  of  new  and  marvelous  power. 

The  new  song  rising  from  the  mist  and  the  spray  of  the  cataract  heralds  a new 
era  in  Buffalo. 

It  heralds  the  evolution  of  the  Queen  City  of  the  Lakes  into  the  Electric  City  of 
the  World  ; a smokeless,  dustless,  wholesome  city  where  the  myriad  and  ever- 
increasing  wheels  of  industry  will  turn  with  the  silent,  unseen  power  generated  from 
Niagara’s  unceasing  current  ; a city  that  will  grow  and  attract  and  gather  force  and 
wealth  and  people  until  it  comes  to  be  known  as  the  Neiv  Wonder  of  the  World. 


HEN  the  city  of  Buffalo,  under  the  favoring  conditions  which  have 
brought  it  to  its  present  splendid  eminence,  doubles  its  population 
in  ten  years,  and  increases  in  wealth  seven  million  dollars  yearly, 
what  can  be  foretold  of  it  when  in  addition  to  all  its  present  wealth- 
producing  resources  it  becomes  the  possessor  of  an  unlimited  supply 
of  the  cheapest  power  in  the  whole  world  ! 

Contemplating  this  fact,  the  Chicago  Tribune  said  : “ By  virtue  of  having  the 

cheapest  power  for  turning  its  machinery,  Buffalo  will  inevitably  become  the  manu- 
facturing centre  of  the  nation.” 

The  New  York  Tribune  adds  this  weighty  testimony  to  the  greatness  of  our  future  : 
“ The  past  of  Buffalo  is  secure,  and  her  manifest  destiny  is  evidently  to  be  something 
tremendous.” 

Already  preparations  are  being  made  to  bring  to  Buffalo  the  electric  power  from 
the  great  tunnel  at  Niagara  Falls.  Several  companies  have  been  formed  of  foremost 
business  men,  who  see  that  in  the  distribution  and  application  of  the  mighty  power 
to  industrial  uses  there  are  fortunes  to  be  made,  and  that  the  pioneers  in  the  task 
will  win  the  chief  prizes. 

The  time  for  discussing  the  practicability  of  bringing  electric  power  from  Niagara 
Falls  to  Buffalo  has  gone  by.  Electrical  science  has  settled  the  question  completely. 
It  has  been  demonstrated  beyond  all  question  that  electric  power  can  be  transmitted 
long  distances  without  material  loss. 

A number  of  the  greatest  capitalists,  and  shrewdest  investors  in  the  United  States, 
are  financially  interested  in  the  tunnel  scheme.  Before  they  put  up  their  money  they 
satisfied  themselves  not  only  that  the  power  could  be  produced,  but  that  it  could  be 
sold. 

They  looked  at  Buffalo,  22  miles  away,  and  saw  a city  of  nearly  300,000  inhabi- 
tants, spread  over  a large  territory,  with  ample  opportunity  for  territorial  growth 
beyond  the  present  limits,  a city  in  which  3,000  new  houses  were  built  in  the  year 
1891,  and  in  which  nearly  one  hundred  million  dollars  is  invested  in  industrial 
enterprises.  They  saw  a city  into  which  26  lines  of  railroad  enter,  representing  a total 
trackage  of  about  25,000  miles,  and  including  the  great  trunk  lines  leading  east,  west, 
north  and  south,  tapping  all  the  rich  raw-material  storehouses  of  the  continent  at  all 
points.  They  saw  that  Buffalo  had  extraordinary  facilities  for  the  distribution  of 
manufactures  by  rail,  facilities  created  by  the  hand  of  industry,  and  they  saw  too 
nature’s  grand  gift  in  the  great  chain  of  lakes,  coupled  to  another  gift  of  industry, 
the  Erie  canal,  giving  us  a water  route  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard. 

These  men  saw  that  here  was  the  place  where  electric  power  could  be  disposed 
of  in  enormous  quantities.  They  knew  that  they  could  send  it  here  almost  as  cheaply 
as  they  could  distribute  it  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  its  point  of  production,  and 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


7 


they  saw  the  mighty  certainties  in  a combination  of  unlimited  cheap  power  for  manu- 
facturing and  extraordinary  shipping  facilities.  They  knew  that  a market  for  their 
electrical  product  was  forever  assured,  and  they  planted  their  millions  in  the  earth 
and  rock  of  Niagara.  Better  investment  was  never  made. 

Read  the  names  of  some  of  the  great  financiers  engaged  in  this  enterprise  : 
William  K.  Vanderbilt,  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  Drexel,  Morgan  & Co.,  August  Bel- 
mont, Brown  Bros.  & Co.,  Isaac  N.  Seligman,  Winslow,  Lamer  & Co..  Morris  K. 
lessup  and  others  famous  in  the  financial  world. 

OUR  GREAT  RAILROAD  INTERESTS. 

Buffalo  is  one  of  the  greatest  railroad  centers  in  the  United  States.  Its  advan- 
tages for  bringing  in  raw  material  cheaply  and  quickly  are  unequalled.  Its  railroad 
arteries  go  forth  in  all  directions,  reaching  the  rich  mines  and  fertile  fields  and  levy- 
ing upon  the  wealth  of  all  ; and  for  the  distribution  of  manufactured  products  it 
occupies  a commanding  position  unexcelled  by  any  city  in  the  country.  And  to  all 
this  must  be  added  its  peerless  shipping  facilities  by  lake  and  canal,  coupled  with 
the  fact  of  its  unique  location  at  the  point  of  transhipment  between  lake,  canal  and 
railroad. 

The  railroad  interests  of  Buffalo  are  larger  than  many  residents  of  the  city  have 
any  idea  of.  There  are  more  miles  of  railroad  tracks  within  the  city  limits  than  in 
any  other  city  in  the  world.  We  have  660  miles  of  them.  The  railroads  own  over 
3,600  acres  of  land  in  the  city.  Over  one-tenth  of  the  general  city  taxes  levied  in 
Buffalo  is  paid  by  the  railroads.  An  army  of  over  20,000  men  are  steadily  employed 
by  the  railroads  in  Buffalo.  A great  number  of  them  own  their  own  homes.  With 
their  families  they  are  numerous  enough  to  make  a good-sized  city  of  themselves. 

New  industries  are  constantly  being  added  to  swell  the  bulk  of  railroad  enter- 
prises here.  The  locomotive  shops  of  the  New  York  Central  &:  Hudson  River 
Railroad  are  among  the  latest.  They  will  cost  half  a million  dollars  to  build,  and 
they  will  be  equipped  with  the  highest  class  of  machinery,  costing  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars  more.  It  is  the  intention  within  a few  years  to  spend  about  two 
million  dollars  on  these  shops,  making  them  the  largest  and  best  equipped  locomo- 
tive shops  in  the  United  States,  rivaling  the  Altoona  shops,  now  the  largest  in  the 
world. 

The  building  of  the  Gould  Car  Coupler  Company's  works  adds  another  to  the 
long  list  of  railroad  supply  shops  located  here,  among  which  are  the  Wagner  Palace 
Car  Works,  Buffalo  Car  Wheel  Works,  New  York  Car  Wheel  Works,  Rood  & Brown 
Car  Wheel  Works,  all  employing  a large  number  of  men.  These  are  the  kind  of  in- 
dustries that  anchor  a city  to  prosperity  forever. 

All  this  shows  what  a railroad  center  Buffalo  is  and  what  splendid  facilities  we 
have  for  receiving  and  sending  by  rail. 


THE  Lake  and  entrance  to  the  Harbor. 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


9 


LAKE  AND  CANAL. 

From  statistics  of  lake  commerce,  compiled  by  Charles  H.  Keep,  secretary  of  the 
Lake  Carriers'  Association,  of  Buffalo,  it  is  learned  that  30,299,006  tons  of  cargo 
were  carried  on  the  great  lakes  during  the  year  1890.  Mr.  Keep  figures  out  that  if 
all  this  tonnage  were  loaded  into  railroad  cars  of  fifteen  tons  capacity,  there  would 
be  a string  of  cars  covering  13,466  miles  of  railroad  tracks,  or,  in  other  words,  four 
strings  of  cars  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  and  enough  left  over  to  run  two 
strings  of  cars  from  New  York  to  Chicago.  And  most  of  this  immense  amount  of 
tonnage  came  to  Buffalo,  or  was  shipped  from  Buffalo. 

“ During  the  season  of  1890,”  he  continues,  “ more  than  nine  million  tons  of  ore 
were  moved  by  the  lake  route  from  the  vicinity  of  the  mines  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
furnaces.” 

To  give  further  proof  of  the  immense  volume  of  trade  flowing  to  and  from 
Buffalo,  here  are  some  comparative  figures  : During  1890  the  amount  of  tonnage 
passing  through  the  Suez  canal  was  6,890,094  tons,  compared  with  8,454.435  tons 
passing  through  the  St.  Mary's  Falls  canal,  and  21,684,000  tons  passing  through  the 
Detroit  River. 

In  1891,  from  April  1st  to  December  1st,  the  grain,  including  flour,  discharged 
from  vessels  at  the  port  of  Buffalo,  reached  the  stupendous  amount  of  164,459  720 
bushels. 

In  1891  the  total  value  of  imports  to  Buffalo  by  canal  was  $27,942,213,  and  the 
total  value  of  exports  by  canal  the  same  year  was  $36,978,035.  To  handle  this 
great  volume  of  business  1 180  boats  were  in  use. 

GREAT  GRAIN  STOREHOUSES. 

There  are  34  grain  elevators  in  Buffalo,  with  a total  capacity  of  15,000,000  bush- 
els, in  addition  to  six  floaters  and  six  transfer  elevators.  These  structures  have  a 
capacity  for  transferring  4,000,000  bushels  every  24  hours.  In  1891  they  handled 
I35i3I5,5I°  bushels  Their  total  value  is  over  $8,000,000.  Several  new  ele- 
vators of  giant  size  are  planned.  Two  of  them  are  estimated  to  cost  a million 
dollars  each. 

WHERE  TRADE  CONCENTRATES. 

Buffalo’s  location  is  unique.  It  is  the  stopping  off  place  between  distant  sections 
for  men,  animals,  lumber,  grain  and  general  merchandise.  The  incidental  business 
growing  out  of  this  fact  is  enormous.  Grain,  coal,  iron,  oil,  lumber  and  other  pro- 
ducts of  this  great  country  gravitate  toward  Buffalo,  and  here  they  are  sent  to  the 
mills,  refineries  and  factories,  or  are  transferred  from  boats  to  cars,  or  cars  to  boats, 
and  sent  east  or  west  as  the  case  may  be. 


10 


THE  NEW  WON  DEE  OF  THE  WORLD. 


The  grain  receipts  by  lake  at  this  port  have  more  than  tripled  in  the  past  ten 
years,  reaching  nearly  165,000,000  bushels  in  1891.  These  shipments  are  bound  to 
vastly  increase  as  new  stretches  of  country  in  the  West  and  Northwest  are  opened  up 
and  tapped  by  railroad  lines.  The  recent  passage  of  the  river  and  harbor  appropri- 
ation bill,  by  which  an  expenditure  of  $4  000,000  is  authorized  in  securing  a twenty- 
foot  channel  for  lake  navigation,  will  result  in  still  lower  rates  and  greatly  increased 
shipments  by  lake.  The  saving  in  lake  freights  over  the  average  railroad  rates  in 
1891  was  about  $150,000,000. 

Many  of  the  largest  coal  trestles  in  the  world  are  located  here.  This  is  the  great- 
est coal  distributing  point  in  the  world.  Our  coal  trade  is  simply  enormous.  To 
give  an  indication  of  this,  it  is  sufficient  to  quote  the  coal  shipments  by  lake  alone 
from  Buffalo  in  1891.  They  amounted  to  2,365,895  tons,  and  the  shipments  by 
canal  and  rail  were  very  large.  A conservative  estimate  places  the  value  of  property 
used  in  the  coal  trade  here  at  $10,000,000.  This  estimate,  of  course,  does  not  in- 
clude vessels  engaged  in  the  coal  trade,  nor  railroad  property  outside  of  that  actually 
devoted  to  the  coal  business. 

The  lumber  trade  here  is  phenomenally  large.  This,  of  course,  is  to  be  expected, 
owing  to  our  location  at  the  foot  of  the  great  lakes.  The  rich  lumbering  districts 
bordering  upon  the  lakes  are  tributary  to  us,  and  the  consequence  is  that  Buffalo  and 
Tonawanda,  which  are  practically  one,  receive  and  distribute  immense  quantities  of 
lumber.  This  is,  in  fact,  the  greatest  distributing  point  for  lumber  in  the  world. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  we  have  the  largest  sheep  market  in  the  world,  one  of  the 
largest  horse  markets  in  the  world,  and,  next  to  Chicago,  the  largest  cattle  market  in 
the  world. 


THE  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 

The  facts  given  above  are  all  drawn  from  compiled  statistics  of  the  city,  and  all 
show  the  splendid  foundation  that  has  been  built  for  the  vast  city  of  the  near  future 
when  the  electric  elixir  from  Niagara’s  mighty  power  flows  through  all  our  commer- 
cial veins  and  arteries,  cheapening  the  cost  of  production  so  that  outside  competition 
can  be  defied,  building  up  every  established  enterprise,  bringing  numberless  new 
ones  into  life,  and  making  of  Buffalo  the  Manchester  of  the  new  world  ! More  than 
that,  it  will  be  the  wonder  of  the  world,  the  peerless,  marvelous  electric  city  ! 

All  this  is  coming.  There  is  no  chance  about  it.  It  is  part  of  the  great  onward 
movement  of  the  world.  It  is  human  progress,  but  in  this  case  it  is  a tremendous 
stride,  a lifetime  of  ordinary  momentum  at  a bound. 

Century  after  century  the  waters  of  the  “unsalted  seas”  leaped  over  Niagara’s 
precipice,  full  of  sound  and  fury,  but  signifying  nothing  beyond  the  grandeur  of 
Nature  in  her  wildest  mood.  Now,  towards  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century,  this 
marvel  of  force  is  chained  to  man’s  uses,  and  a power  sufficient  to  run  the  machinery 
of  the  world  is  levied  upon  for  industrial  purposes. 


WHERE  THe  GOLDEN  grain  is  STORED-  the  ELEVATOR  DISTRICT. 


12 


THE  NEIV  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


This  tunnel  project  is  a splendid  illustration  of  human  enterprise,  of  which 
there  has  been  an  endless  procession  of  illustrations.  Think  of  a few  of  the 
great  things  that  have  been  accomplished.  It  became  necessary  to  cross  oceans, 
and  sailing  vessels  were  built.  The  application  of  steam  came,  and  the  ships 
folded  their  wings  and  flew  faster  than  ever  they  did  before.  The  world 
demanded  swift  speed  upon  land,  and  railroads  were  born,  culminating  in  an 
Empire  State  Express  that  flies  from  New  York  to  Buffalo  in  a little  over  eight 
hours.  I ightning  leaped  from  the  clouds  to  copper  wires  and  girdled  the  earth 
with  instantaneous  intelligence,  and  our  voices  speed  swifter  than  thought  from 
city  to  city. 

The  problems  of  the  world  are  being  solved  one  by  one. 

This  is  the  electric  age,  and  who  can  foretell  what  mighty  things  may  come  in 
the  train  of  the  pioneer  work  with  Niagara’s  power  ! It  is  proposed  at  present  to  pro- 
duce 125,000  horse  power.  The  Scientific  American  estimates  that  the  force  in  Nia- 
gara’s current  amounts  to  several  millions  of  horse-power.  The  present  tunnel  can  be 
duplicated  again  and  again  as  necessity  demands.  The  sale  of  15,000  horse-power  will 
carry  the  present  investment,  leaving  1 10,000  horse-power  for  clear  profit.  The  com- 
pany has  a capital  of  $10,000,000  to  draw  from,  and  a number  of  the  greatest  capitalists 
in  the  country  are  behind  the  movement.  It  is  certain,  then,  that  development  will 
keep  pace  with  the  demand,  and  that  all  the  electric  power  needed  will  be  forth- 
coming. \Ye  have  the  great  inexhaustible  storehouse  of  Niagara  to  draw  from  for- 
ever, and  human  enterprise  can  be  depended  upon  to  dig  the  gold  that  may  be  had 
for  the  digging. 

Buffalo,  with  her  phenomenal  facilities  for  tapping  the  mines,  the  lumber  forests, 
the  grain  fields  and  all  the  other  rich  store-houses  of  the  country,  and  with  equal 
facilities  for  distributing  the  manufactured  product,  will,  of  course,  be  the  chief  mar- 
ket for  the  electric  power  produced  at  the  Falls.  It  can  be  brought  here  without 
material  loss  in  transmission,  while  the  transportation  advantages  conferred  by 
Buffalo’s  unique  location  cannot  be  transmitted.  They  are  immovable  as  the  eternal 
hills. 

The  result  is  not  hard  to  trace.  Buffalo  is  going  to  be  the  Electric  City  of  the 
world,  instead  of  the  Queen  City  of  the  lakes. 

In  the  larger  manufacturing  concerns  here  the  cost  of  steam  power  has  been 
brought  down  to  about  $35  per  horse-power  per  year.  The  cost  of  power  in  the 
smaller  manufacturing  concerns  is  much  greater  than  this  sum. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  electric  power  from  the  Falls  can  be  sold  in  Buffalo, 
ready  for  instant  use  by  touching  a button,  at  little  more  than  half  the  present  cost 
of  steam  power.  Here  is  room  for  thought  and  comparison  on  the  part  of  those 
engaged  in  manufacturing  enterprises. 

Does  not  cheap  power  settle  the  question  of  a city’s  manufacturing  greatness  ? 
Can  there  be  any  appeal  from  such  settlement? 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


13 


Give  any  city  advantages  in  the  way  of  cheap  and  abundant  power  not  enjoyed 
by  any  other  city  on  the  face  of  the  earth  and  what  is  the  natural  result  ? The  eyes 
of  manufacturers  everywhere  are  focused  upon  that  city. 

Give  to  a city  unequaled  transportation  facilities  and  the  cheapest  power  in  the 
world,  and  you  have  the  conditions  for  building  up  the  greatest  industrial  center  in 
the  world. 

This  is  Buffalo’s  position. 

Far-sighted  men  do  not  talk  any  more  about  the  possibilities  of  Buffalo’s  future. 
They  talk  about  certainties.  They  say  with  the  New  York  Tribune  : “ The  past  of 
Buffalo  is  secure,  and  her  manifest  destiny  is  evidently  to  be  something  tremen- 
dous.” 

Truly,  as  has  been  said  by  Samuel  Wilkeson,  Buffalo  holds  the  key  to  the  com- 
merce of  an  inland  empire. 


THE  GROWTH  OF  A YEAR. 

The  Buffalo  City  Directory  for  1892  shows  about  6,000  more  names  than  were 
contained  in  last  year’s  directory.  In  order  to  compute  the  population  of  a city,  it 
is  usual  to  multiply  the  number  of  names  in  the  directory  by  3^2,  as,  for  the  most 
part,  only  the  names  of  heads  of  families  appear  there.  Some  cities  multiply  by  4. 
It  is  certainly  very  modest  to  make  the  multiplier  3%,  which  is  usually  done  in 
Buffalo.  Upon  this  basis  it  will  be  seen  that  the  increase  in  our  population  during 
the  past  year  was  19,500,  enough  people  gained  in  twelve  months  to  make  a city  as 
large  as  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  and  nearly  as  large  as  Oswego,  N.  Y.  Counting  3^  peo- 
ple to  one  name  in  the  directory,  we  have  a population,  in  June,  1892,  of  297,375. 

The  increase  during  the  year  has  been  no  more  than  the  usual  steady  increase  in 
the  population  of  the  city.  With  the  addition  of  cheap  electric  power  as  a cause  for 
growth,  there  can  be  no  question  but  that  the  increase  in  future  years  will  be  much 
more  rapid  than  in  the  past. 


A GLOWING  PROPHECY. 

On  February  19,  1888,  before  ever  a drill  had  been  started  in  the  Niagara  tunnel, 
and  before  the  project  had  attracted  much  attention,  the  New  YTork  Times  uttered 
this  glowing  prophecy  for  Buffalo  : 

“ Every  furrow  turned  on  Dakota’s  plains,  almost  every  blow  struck  with  keen-edged  axes  in  the 
forests  that  stand  on  the  rugged  Lake  Superior  region  ; the  ceaseless  hammering  of  compressed-air 
drills  in  Lake  Vermillion  iron  mines ; the  work  of  thousands  of  Pennsylvania  coal  miners — in  short, 
almost  every  blow  struck  in  primary  productive  industry  in  the  region  tributary  to  the  lakes  adds  to 
the  prosperity  of  Buffalo.  . . This  region  has  proved  to  be  the  most  productive  of  freight  of  all  the 

lake  regions,  and  the  commerce  of  Lake  Superior  is  still  in  its  infancy.  . . Buffalo  will  inevitably 

become  the  greatest  milling  city  on  earth.” 


14 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD 


Lafayette  square  and  soldiers’  monument- 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


15 


THE  GREAT  SCIENTIFIC  PAPER’S  VIEW  OF  IT. 

The  Scientific  American , in  its  issue  of  March  5,  1892,  contained  an  extremely 
interesting  article  on  the  work  and  intentions  of  the  Niagara  Falls  Power  Company. 
After  speaking  of  the  methods  of  construction,  etc.,  the  article  says  : 

“ It  is  now  the  expectation  of  the  company  to  make  its  first  large  contract  for  the  delivery  of  power 
at  a distance  from  the  Falls,  with  the  city  of  Buffalo,  3,000  horse  power  being  required  for  the  light- 
ing of  the  city.  The  present  cost  of  a steam  horse-power  in  Buffalo  is  put  at  $35  per  year,  and 
the  company  offers  to  contract  to  furnish  power  on  its  grounds  at  the  Falls  according  to  the  follow- 
ing scale  : For  5,000  horse-power,  $10  per  horse-power  ; for  4,500.  $10.50;  for  4,000,  $11;  and  so 
on  down  to  300  horse-power,  for  which  there  will  be  charged  $21  per  horse-power  per  annum,  each 
power  to  be  supplied  for  twenty-four  hour  days.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  if  the  cost  of  trans- 
mission be  within  present  expectations,  the  company  will  be  able  to  furnbh  power  at  Buffalo  at  a 
much  lower  price  than  it  is  at  present  to  be  had  at,  and  for  a far  larger  field  of  usefulness  than  the 
mere  lighting  of  the  city.  According  to  the  most  successful  of  all  the  recent  efforts  in  the  way  of 
practically  transmitting  power  electrically  for  a considerable  distance,  only  about  twenty-five  per  cent, 
of  the  power  was  lost  in  transmitting  it  by  wire  a distance  of  108  miles.  This  degree  of  success  was 
attained  at  the  recent  Frankfort  exposition.” 


WHAT  ERASTUS  WIMAN  SAYS. 

That  well-known  and  successful  financier,  Erastus  Wiman,  of  New  York,  who  is 
deeply  interested  in  electrical  enterprises,  read  a very  able  paper  at  the  convention 
of  the  National  Electric  Eight  Association  held  in  Buffalo  in  February,  1892.  In 
his  paper  he  devoted  considerable  attention  to  the  Niagara  Falls  tunnel  scheme,  and 
among  other  things  he  said  ; 

“ How  vast  is  the  internal  commerce  that  throbs  and  pulsates  over  this  fair  land  we  may  not  now 
stop  to  estimate,  and  how  important  a part  this  great  city  of  Buffalo  is  destined  to  play  in  it,  electrically, 
we  can  only  dimly  guess.  * * * The  whole  electrical  community  are  watching  with  intense 

interest  the  possibility  of  the  development  in  this  city  of  Buffalo  electrical  transmission  arising  out  of  the 
successful  effort  which  is  now  being  made  to  harness  the  power  hitherto  latent  in  the  Niagara  River. 
The  boldness  of  the  proposal,  the  extent  and  character  of  the  enterprise  which  is  now  nearing  comple- 
tion in  this  effort,  the  pluck  and  push  in  the  work,  challenge  alike  the  attention  of  the  engimering  and 
the  commercial  world.  The  relation  of  this  enormous  power  of  nature  to  the  transmission  of 
electricity  is  the  most  important  consideration  which  now  occupies  the  thoughts  of  those  most  interested. 
The  success  which  has  attended  the  three-phase  current  from  Lauffen  to  Frankfort  in  the  transmission 
of  power  1 12  miles,  without  material  loss,  comes  just  at  the  right  moment  to  make  it  seem  possible  that 
the  enormous  potentialities  in  the  forces  of  Niagara  can  be  made  to  reach  a degree  of  usefulness  never 
dreamt  of  in  the  past  and  hardly  realized  in  the  wonderful  present  It  seems  fortunate,  therefore,  that 
the  convention  which  is  here  assembled  should,  as  it  were,  be  in  the  presence  of  the  most  stupendous 
event  possible  in  the  history  of  the  science  of  electricity.  In  the  development  of  the  next  few  years 
will  be  found  ample  food  for  thought  and  effort,  out  of  which  may  grow  a relief  for  electric  lighting 
plants  of  the  greatest  possible  consequence.  If  in  the  city  of  Buffalo  and  from  the  Niagara  River 
there  can  be  transmitted  power  in' such,enormous  proportions  as  are  now  contemplated,  sub-divided  and 


THE  NE  W WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


1(3 


reduced,  so  that  into  every  factory  and  almost  into  every  house  the  force  and  energy  can  be  controlled 
and  operated,  there  is  latent  in  every  central  station  the  possibilities  that  may  come  to  every  town  in  the 
country  and  to  all  electric  light  plants  now  lying  idle  during  the  day,  an  imitation  in  modified  form  of 
the  power  that  of  all  forces  in  the  world,  Niagara  is  the  best  example.” 


“THE  MANUFACTURING  CENTRE  OF  THE  NATION.” 

Within  the  past  year  or  two,  and  particularly  during  1892,  Buffalo  has  received  a 
great  deal  of  attention  from  the  press  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  leading  news- 
papers of  the  large  cities  have  discussed  the  question  of  Buffalo’s  future  growth,  and 
the  general  concensus  of  opinion  has  been  that  it  will  be  phenomenally  large. 

Among  the  newspapers  that  have  entered  into  this  discussion  is  the  Chicago 
Tribune.  It  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  the  great  journals  of  the  United  States.  It 
is  very  ably  edited,  is  a sterling,  conservative  newspaper,  and  its  editorial  utterances 
carry  great  weight.  In  its  issue  of  March  13,  1892,  it  printed  a leading  editorial 
about  Buffalo,  and  it  is  here  produced  in  full  : 

“ A recent  article  in  the  Tribune  setting  forth  the  prospect  that  this  city  will  ere  long  be  the  centre 
of  operations  in  the  United  States  for  the  largest  electrical  company  in  the  world  has  incited  more  than 
one  good-humored  protest  that  the  people  here  are  expecting  too  much.  The  New  York  Tribune  and 
the  Buffalo  Express  both  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  Buffalo  has  great  expectations  in  this  matter  of 
being  the  electrical  centre  of  the  world.  With  Niagara  Falls  behind  it,  and  a consequence  of  the  fact, 
Buffalo  is  claimed  to  be  looming  up  as  the  chief  manufacturing  and  shipping  centre  of  the  interior. 

“ In  the  course  of  a few  months  from  now  the  practicability  of  converting  the  Falls  into  a source 
of  power,  light,  heat,  and  refrigeration  is  to  be  demonstrated.  A company  is  now  constructing  tunnels 
and  setting  a series  of  turbine  wheels  in  position  from  which  it  is  expected  to  obtain  120,000  horse- 
power without  the  combustion  of  a single  pound  of  fuel.  If  it  succeeds  in  this,  every  wheel  in  Buffalo 
can  be  turned  and  every  building  lighted  and  heated  at  the  lowest  possible  cost.  With  this  enormous 
electrical  power  transmitted  to  the  city  and  distributed  through  it  coal  will  no  longer  be  burned  there, 
and  the  steam  engine  will  be  dispensed  with  in  manufacturing  processes.  By  virtue  of  having  the 
cheapest  power  for  turning  its  machinery  Buffalo  will  inevitably  become  the  manufacturing  centre  of 
the  nation.  This  is  the  forecast  made  by  practical  electricians  and  endorsed  by  shrewd  business  men 
as  a sound  deduction,  warranted,  too,  by  a glance  at  the  remarkable  progress  achieved  by  the  city  during 
the  last  decade.  * 

“ In  that  period  the  city  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Erie  increased  its  coal  traffic  387  per  cent. , its  iron 
receipts  226  per  cent.,  its  population  by  89  per  cent.,  and  fully  doubled  its  grain  receipts  and  lumber 
shipments.  It  is  already  the  largest  grain-receiving  and  coal-distributing  center  in  the  world,  the 
principal  lumber  port  in  the  country,  and  one  of  the  greatest  markets  for  live  stock  and  fish.  Its 
number  of  manufacturing  establishments  increased  200  per  cent,  from  1880  to  1890,  and  it  is  now  con- 
sidered certain  that  they  will  more  than  treble  again  by  the  end  of  the  century  with  the  conversion  of 
the  Falls  into  a source  of  electrical  power,  while  the  population  will  increase  from  300,000  to 
1,000,000.  And  it  is  said  ‘ Buffalo  now  seems  destined  to  gain  steadily  upon  Chicago  in  the  race  for 
commercial  supremacy.’ 

“ That  is  a noble  ambition,  and  the  Tribune  sees  no  reason  to  find  fault  with  it.  But  it  should 
not  be  forgotten  that  Chicago  will  also  grow,  so  that  Buffalo  may  still  be  a long  way  behind  when  her 
promise  of  a million  inhabitants  will  have  been  realized.  Yet  it  may  be  said  that  the  prospects  of 


BUFFALO  and  its  ELECTRIC  POV/ER  HOUSE. 


18 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


growth  are  set  forth  only  in  a mild  way  by  either  of  the  papers  named.  If  the  transference  of  elec- 
trical power  be  performed  as  cheaply  and  efficiently  as  is  now  expected  the  result  may  be  a speedy  re- 
moval thither  of  much  of  the  manufacturing  industry  of  New  England,  a large  share  of  the  ‘Yankee 
notion’  business  that  now  flourishes  in  those  Eastern  States,  and  no  little  of  the  manufacturing 
energy  that  at  present  exhibits  itself  in  the  smaller  cities  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey.  Possibly  the 
silk  industry  of  the  latter  will  be  found  seeking  the  propinquity  of  the  Falls.  Trov  and  Rochester,  par- 
ticularly the  latter,  are  likely  to  be  injuriously  affected,  unless  it  be  found  that  the  power  can  be  trans- 
mitted to  them  with  but  little  loss,  and  Cleveland  may  be  a great  loser,  while  even  the  woolen  mills  of 
Philadelphia  may  be  unable  to  compete  with  those  of  the  new  center.  In  short,  the  possibilities  for 
paper  mills,  flour  mills,  cotton  and  woolen  manufactories,  and  a host  of  other  hives  of  industry 
clustering  there  is  limited  only  by  the  quantity  of  power  available  from  the  descending  waters,  and 
this  great  prosperity  will  not  bring  with  it  the  smudge  of  coal-burning,  which  has  defiled  the  buildings 
and  polluted  the  atmosphere  of  other  cities  that  have  attempted  greatness  by  changing  to  more  useful 
forms  the  raw  products  of  nature.  But  it  is  hard  to  see  how  any  or  all  of  this  can  materially  hurt  Chi- 
cago. and  the  people  of  this  city  can  well  afford  to  wish  those  of  Buffalo  success  in  their  new 
departure.” 


„ “ANOTHER  MANCHESTER.” 

In  a very  able  leading  editorial,  printed  in  the  New  York  Tribune  of  February  7, 
1892,  the  future  of  Buffalo  was  glowingly  mirrored.  Such  utterances  from  such  a 
source  speak  volumes,  and  show  the  commanding  position  to  which  Buffalo  has  risen  — 
a position  that  attracts  the  attention  of  the  newspapers  of  national  eminence  as  well 
as  of  the  greatest  capitalists  of  the  country.  The  article  referred  to  is  herewith 
printed  entire  : 

“ Chicago  has  been  so  intent  upon  rivaling  New  York  in  population  and  commercial  importance 
that  it  has  overlooked  the  chances  of  competition  from  another  city  in  the  Empire  Stale.  Buffalo, 
with  Niagara  Falls  behind  it,  is  looming  up  as  the  chief  manufacturing  and  shipping  center  of  the 
interior.  In  the  coarse  of  a few  months  the  practicability  of  converting  the  Falls  into  a source  of 
power,  light,  heat  and  refrigerat.on  is  to  be  demonstrated.  If  the  company  which  is  now  constructing 
tunnels  and  se  ting  a series  of  turbine- wheels,  succeeds  in  obtaining  120,000  horse-power,  every  wheel 
in  Buffalo  can  be  turned  and  every  house  lighted  and  heated  at  the  lowest  cost.  With  this  enormous 
electrical  power  transmitted  and  distributed  throughout  the  city,  coal  will  no  longer  be  burned  and 
steam  engines  will  be  dispensed  with  in  manufacturing  processes.  Buffalo,  by  virtue  of  having  the 
cheapest  power  for  turning  its  wheels,  will  inevitably  become  the  manufacturing  center  of  the  nation. 
This  is  the  forecast  made,  not  only  by  sanguine  electricians,  but  also  by  shrewd,  practical  business  men, 
who  have  watched  the  remarkable  progress  of  the  city  during  the  last  decade. 

“ Even  without  the  successful  operation  of  the  tunnel  plant  at  Niagara,  Buffalo  since  18S0  has  in- 
creased its  population  89  per  cent.,  its  grain  receipts  101  per  cent.,  its  lumber  shipments  125  per 
cent.,  its  iron  receipts  226  per  cent.,  and  its  coal  business  387  per  cent.  The  commerce  of  the  great 
lakes  has  involved  exchanges  of  wheat  and  coal.  All  the  coal-carrying  corporations  have  made  Buf- 
falo their  shipping  point  for  the  West  because  the  grain-laden  fleet  is  available  for  return  cargoes. 
The  city  is  not  only  the  largest  grain-receiving  and  coal-distributing  center  in  the  world,  but  it  is  also 
the  principal  lumber  port  of  the  country  and  one  of  the  greatest  live-stock  and  fish  markets.  With 
coal,  iron,  lumber  and  salt  available  for  the  founding  of  new  industries,  it  has  increased  its  number  of 
manufacturing  industries  over  200  per  cent,  during  the  last  decade.  These  are  substantial  results 


BUFFALO:  TUF.  ELECTRICCITY. 


19 


which  warrant  the  conclusion  that  the  success  of  the  project  for  converting  Niagara  Falls  into  a 
source  of  electric  power  will  raise  the  population  of  Buffalo  from  300,000  to  1,000,000  in  another 
decade.  The  manufacturing  interests  of  the  country  will  inevitably  center  where  electric  power  costing 
a fraction  of  either  water  or  steam  power  can  be  supplied  together  with  all  raw  materials.  With  the 
help  of  Niagara,  Buffalo  now  seems  destined  to  gain  steadily  upon  Chicago  in  the  race  for  commercial 
supremacy. 

“ It  has  been  fortunate  for  Buffalo  that  prosperity  has  not  overwhelmed  it  suddenly,  and  that  it 
has  had  leisure  for  preparing  for  its  good  fortune.  Already  it  is  the  handsomest  residence  city  in 
America,  with  broad,  heavily-shaded  streets  paved  with  aspha't,  with  a well-designed  series  of  beau- 
tiful parks,  and  with  public  buildings,  hotels,  libraries  and  music  halls  worthy  of  a great  town.  If 
its  wealthy  class  live  in  luxurious  palaces  incomparably  finer  than  the  residences  of  Eastern  million- 
aires, its  poor  and  humble  artisans  are  housed  in  neat  and  tasteful  cottages.  It  is  a charming  city 
of  homes  and  domestic  comfort,  which  is  gradually  being  transformed  into  one  of  the  busiest  hives 
of  American  manufacturing  industry.  It  is  at  least  a pleasant  thought  that  through  the  transmission 
of  power  now  going  to  waste  at  Niagara  this  well-kept  and  wholesome  town  may  escape  the  smudge 
of  coal-burning  which  has  fouled  Chicago  and  impaired  the  freshness  and  beauty  of  Cleveland.  If 
by  the  end  of  another  decade  every  wheel  in  it  from  the  trolleys  on  the  electric  railways  to  the  larg- 
est iron  lathe  in  its  engineering  works  be  turned  by  power  ge  erated  by  the  turbines  at  Niagara,  it 
will  be  another  Manchester,  but  without  smoke  and  grime  . ” 


AMERICA’S  HANDSOMEST  CITY. 

The  latter  portion  of  the  Tribune  article  draws  attention  to  some  very  noteworthy 
facts  connected  with  Buffalo.  When  the  Tribune  says  that  Buffalo  is  “the  hand- 
somest residence  city  in  America,”  it  tells  the  exact  truth.  All  Buffalonians  are 
deservedly  proud  of  the  beauties  of  their  city.  Many  times  has  the  writer  heard 
exclamations  of  surprise  and  delight  from  the  lips  of  strangers  who,  for  the  first 
time,  were  being  driven  through  our  beautiful  avenues  and  park  roads.  Our  streets 
are  exceptionally  wide  and  well-paved.  Care  in  tree-planting  has  led  to  magnificent 
results.  Well-kept,  velvety  lawns  of  spacious  extent  are  the  rule,  and  make  fine  setting 
for  the  thousands  of  architectural  gems  of  homes  with  which  the  city  is  studded.  It  has 
been  said  over  and  over  again  by  traveled  strangers  that  Buffalo  has  more  fine  architec- 
ture in  residences,  more  beautiful  homes  than  any  other  city  of  its  size  in  the  world. 

We  had,  at  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1891,  about  105  lineal  miles  of  asphalted 
streets.  It  is  hard  as  a rock  and  smooth  as  a floor  and  full  of  restful  delight  to  those 
who  drive  over  its  smooth,  clean  surface.  Personal  pride  taken  by  the  property- 
owners  in  its  trim  beauty  leads  to  its  being  swept  and  cleaned  daily,  which  is  done 
at  trifling  expense.  Asphalt  is  being  laid  in  this  city  at  the  rate  of  about  twenty 
lineal  miles  per  year,  and  we  have  now  more  miles  of  asphalted  streets  than  any 
other  city  in  the  world. 

The  park  system  of  Buffalo  contains  about  900  acres  of  handsome  land,  which  has 
been  laid  out  by  Frederick  L.  Olmsted,  the  eminent  landscape  artist,  and  its  natural 
beauty  wonderfully  added  to.  It  lies  close  to  the  finer  residence  portion  of  the  city, 


View  of  AN  asphalted  residence  street- 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


21 


and  is  readily  reached  from  all  sections.  Land  for  new  parks  on  the  south  side  of 
the  city  and  along  the  lake  has  recently  been  bought,  making  splendid  additions  to 
the  park  system. 

The  school  system  of  Buffalo  ranks  deservedly  high.  We  have  over  fifty 
grammar  schools,  one  high  school,  another  large  school  building  used  for  the  overflow 
and  a new  high  school  projected.  We  have  a State  Normal  School,  Kindergartens, 
dozens  of  parochial  and  private  schools,  and  we  have  taken  steps  to  establish  manual 
training  schools. 

We  have  medical  colleges  of  high  standing,  business  colleges  of  national  repu- 
tation, some  splendid  public  libraries,  several  of  the  finest  theaters  in  the  country, 
and  handsome  churches  without  number.  No  city  has  more  right  than  has  Buffalo 
to  be  called  the  city  of  churches.  We  have  about  150  of  them. 

The  social  atmosphere  of  Buffalo  is  delightful,  and  visitors  to  this  city  always 
carry  away  with  them  very  pleasant  memories  of  our  social  life. 

In  short,  there  is  in  Buffalo  every  refinement  of  civilization  of  the  highest  type. 
The  busy  man  of  affairs  who  seeks,  at  the  same  time,  investment  for  his  capital  and 
charming  social  advantages  for  his  family,  can  find  in  Buffalo  all  that  he  desires. 


A CITY  OF  HOMES. 

And  there  is  still  another  phase  of  this  subject  that  should  be  touched  upon. 
Buffalo  is  a city  of  homes  for  the  humble  as  well  as  the  rich.  It  is  a city  full  of  the 
sweet  content  that  belongs  to  the  home-builder.  Building  and  loan  associations,  of 
which  we  have  a great  number,  have  materially  helped  to  bring  about  this  result.  But 
it  is  a fact  that  these  associations  thrive  only  in  soil  suited  to  them.  They  are  the 
outgrowth  of  sterling  worth,  sobriety  and  manly  ambition.  Where  they  thrive  we 
find  good  workmen  of  conservative  instincts,  who  are  averse  to  taking  part  in  labor 
troubles.  This  is  believed  to  be  the  chief  reason  why  Buffalo  has  always  enjoyed  a 
singular  freedom  from  strikes.  Be  the  cause  what  it  may,  it  is  a fact  that  strikes  are 
of  a rare  occurrence  here  ; and  when  they  have  occurred  they  have  been  quickly 
settled.  The  firebrands  of  labor  agitations  have  had  very  little  encouragement  here. 

It  is  the  more  easy  for  workmen  to  own  their  own  homes  in  Buffalo  from  the  fact 
that  land  values  here  are  remarkably  low.  We  stretch  over  a large  section  of  ter- 
ritory and  have  plenty  of  room  for  our  people. 

A first-class  electric  street  car  service  gives  easy  and  swift  access  to  the  suburbs  ; 
while  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  runs  trains  every  hour  each  way  on  a Belt  Line 
encircling  the  city  and  tapping  residence  portions  all  around  the  fifteen-mile  circuit. 

Nowhere  is  there  a more  conservative,  prosperous  and  contented  community  of 
workingmen  than  in  Buffalo,  and  this  is  a fact  that  builds  up  a bulwark  of  safety  for 
industrial  enterprises  and  investment  of  capital. 


FAR-FAMED  DELAWARE  AVENUE. 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


23 


OUR  ELECTRIC  RAILROAD  SYSTEM. 

Rapid  transit  is  one  of  the  essentials  in  the  busy  life  of  a great  city.  Buffalo  has 
outgrown  the  horse  car  system  and  has  now  swift  electric  cars  speeding  in  all  direc- 
tions. All  the  great  arteries  of  travel  leading  from  the  heart  of  the  city  are  equipped 
with  electric  cars.  The  work  of  putting  in  the  electric  system  has  been  one  of  great 
magnitude,  as  there  was  no  cessation  in  the  traffic  while  the  change  was  being  made. 

Though  electric  cars  have  been  in  operation  in  some  of  the  park  roads  for  several 
years,  the  work  of  changing  the  system  in  down  town  streets  was  not  started  until 
the  fall  of  1890.  Work  was  then  begun  on  Niagara  Street,  and  on  July  4,  1891,  the 
first  electric  cars  were  run  in  that  important  thoroughfare.  Within  four  months 
traffic  on  the  line  was  tripled,  and  it  has  steadily  increased  ever  since.  Elk,  Seneca, 
Washington  and  Sycamore  streets,  all  thoroughfares  leading  to  the  suburbs,  were 
next  equipped  with  electric  cars,  and  at  this  writing  (June,  1892)  the  work  of  chang- 
ing the  system  in  Main  Street  is  progressing  rapidly,  and  is  almost  completed.  The 
system  is,  of  course,  being  changed  in  the  most  important  thoroughfares  first,  and  the 
less  important  lines  will  undergo  the  same  treatment  in  rapid  succession,  so  that  it 
will  not  be  very  long  before  horse  cars  will  be  remembered  in  Buffalo  as  the  vanished 
symbol  of  a slower  era.  The  total  length  of  the  street  railroad  tracks  of  Buffalo  is 
over  100  miles. 

Through  the  chief  thoroughfares  the  electric  cars  run  every  three  minutes.  A 
single  fare  of  five  cents  is  charged  from  one  end  of  the  city  to  the  other,  with  the 
privilege  of  changing  from  one  line  to  another.  There  are  no  transfer  charges 
The  company  pays  to  the  city  a percentage  on  its  earnings  of  two  to  three  per  cent., 
graded  in  propoition  to  the  amount  of  the  gross  receipts.  This  arrangement,  which 
was  entered  into  during  the  early  part  of  1892,  was  a very  welcome  one  to  the 
people,  particularly  to  workingmen,  who  consequently  are  enabled  to  reach  their 
work  in  any  part  of  the  city,  even  the  most  distant,  for  a five  cent  fare.  The  swift- 
ness of  the  electric  cars,  from  eight  to  eighteen  miles  an  hour,  is  a great  factor  in 
time-saving,  and  it  is  much  appreciated  by  working  people,  as  well  as  by  business 
men,  and  all  who  are  impatient  of  delay  in  getting  from  one  part  of  the  city  to 
another. 

The  Buffalo  Railway  Company,  which  operates  all  the  lines  of  street  railroad  in  the 
city,  has  a capital  of  six  million  dollars,  so  that  it  is  financially  strong  and  able  to 
carry  out  any  improvement  desired. 

Cheap  electric  power  from  Niagara  will,  of  course,  be  available  in  the  running  of 
street  cars  in  Buffalo  ; and  as  it  can  be  bought  very  much  cheaper  than  it  can  be 
produced  by  the  evaporation  of  steam  it  will  have  a potent  influence  in  making  it 
possible  for  the  company  to  grant  still  further  concessions  to  the  public.  The  citi- 
zens’ committee  which  recently  arbitrated  between  the  company  and  the  public  and 


THE  NEW  WO  NEE  A OF  THE  WORLD. 


24 


brought  about  the  present  satisfactory  agreement  had  full  and  free  access  to  all 
the  books  of  the  company,  and  figured  out  to  a nicety  the  cost  of  carrying  each  pas- 
senger, and  the  amount  of  profit  in  the  business.  If  the  cost  of  the  motive  power 
had  been  cut  in  two,  as  it  will  be  cut  by  the  introduction  of  Niagara’s  power,  the 
committee  would  certainly  have  reported  in  favor  of  even  better  terms  for  the  city. 
Thus  it  is  a fair  conclusion  that  the  beneficent  effects  of  cheap  power  generated  at 
the  Falls  will  be  felt  by  every  person  who  rides  on  the  street  cars  of  Buffalo. 

This  subject  is  here  dwelt  upon  at  considerable  length  because  the  writer  feels 
that  it  is  of  great  importance.  Every  manufacturer  whose  eyes  are  turned  in  this 
direction,  and  who  is  considering  whether  he  shall  take  advantage  of  the  peerless  op- 
portunities now  offered  in  Buffalo,  wants  to  know  about  the  street  car  service.  He 
wants  to  know,  in  case  he  should  locate  his  plant  here,  how  quickly  and  how  cheaply 
he  and  his  employees  could  get  to  and  from  their  business.  It  is  a pleasure  to  as- 
sure him  and  all  others  interested  that  the  electric  street  railroad  system  of  Buffalo 
is  pronounced  by  experts  to  be  the  best  in  the  United  States,  and  also  that  its 
management  is  of  the  most  liberal  and  progressive  kind. 

The  street  car  service  of  a city  is  part  of  its  throbbing  life,  part  of  its  pulse,  and 
by  it  the  business  health  and  prosperity  of  the  city  can  be  gauged. 

SUBURBAN  ELECTRIC  ROADS. 

Within  a radius  of  a few  miles  from  Buffalo  there  are  many  thriving  towns. 
Naturally,  with  so  many  steam  rtilroads  running  in  all  directions  from  this  point, 
residents  of  these  towns  enjoy  excellent  railroad  accommodations  in  traveling  to  and 
from  the  city.  But  the  swift  pace  of  present  progress  is  all  too  rapid  for  the  old  way. 
Electric  lines  to  suburban  towns  are  being  built  or  projected  in  surprising  number. 
An  electric  line  to  the  city  of  Tonawanda,  connecting  with  the  Buffalo  street  rail- 
road system,  and  in  fact  being  an  extension  of  it,  has  been  in  successful  operation 
since  early  in  the  present  year  (1892).  It  will  be  extended  through  to  Niagara 
Falls.  Two  other  lines  of  electric  railroad  to  Tonawanda  have  been  surveyed  and 
active  preparations  are  being  made  to  build  them  Both  will  connect  with  the  Buf- 
falo system,  and  in  time  will  be  extended  to  Niagara  Falls.  One  of  these  has 
secured  a very  favorable  route,  out  Delaware  Avenue  in  a direct  air  line  to  Tona- 
wanda, through  a delightful  residence  district. 

An  electric  railroad  is  being  built  to  Lancaster  and  Depew,  the  latter  being  the 
new  city  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  just  outside  of  Buffalo,  where  the  Cen- 
tral’s locomotive  shops,  the  Gould  Car  Coupler  Works  and  other  great  industrial 
enterprises  are  in  progress.  This  line  will  be  in  operation  by  September  of  this 
year. 

Still  another  electric  line  is  to  be  built  to  East  Aurora,  the  prettiest  of  Erie 
County  villages,  where  the  famous  Hamlin  and  Jewett  stock  farms  are  located.  C.  J. 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


25 


Hamlin,  the  millionaire  horseman,  and  owner  of  Belle  Hamlin,  is  one  of  the  promi- 
nent men  interested  in  this  line. 

Strong  companies  have  also  been  formed  to  build  electric  lines  to  Hamburg, 
Williamsville  and  other  suburban  towns. 

All  of  these  enterprises  indicate  the  profound  belief  which  capitalists  have  in 
Buffalo’s  future.  Most  of  them  were  brought  into  life  through  the  stimulating  influ- 
ence of  cheap  electric  power  from  Niagara  Falls.  Those  interested  in  these  enter- 
prises knew  that  cheap  electric  power  meant  tremendous  and  rapid  growth  for  the 
city,  and  that  the  tide  of  prosperity  would  sweep  out  far  enough  to  reach  all  towns 
lying  contiguous  to  the  city,  and  whose  prosperity  is  part  of  the  prosperity  of  Buffalo. 
They  also  knew  that  cheap  electric  power  from  Niagara  Falls  meant  cheap  motive 
power  for  their  roads  and  greatly  reduced  cost  of  operation. 

It  is  a modest  assertion  that  the  silent,  swift,  all-powerful  currents  of  electricity 
flowing  into  Buffalo  from  Niagara  will  touch  every  craft,  every  branch  of  indus- 
try. It  will  quicken  all  these  into  renewed  activity  and  point  a thousand  new  ways 
for  the  employment  of  money,  brains  and  muscle.  It  will  give  us  light,  heat  and 
refrigeration,  and  power  for  the  mightiest  and  most  delicate  machinery. 

The  smoke  cloud  of  industry  that  hovers  over  and  shrouds  the  manufacturing 
district  of  every  great  city,  will  gradually  lift  from  ours  as  the  consumption  of  coal 
gives  place  to  smokeless  electric  power.  In  a few  years  it  will  be  all  gone,  and 
Buffalo,  the  “ Electric  City,”  will  be  famed  as  the  cleanest  and  healthiest  city  in  the 
world. 

“BUFFALO'S  GOLD  MINE.” 

Some  years  ago,  Mr.  James  B Stafford,  of  this  city,  then  president  of  the  Buffalo 
Business  Men’s  Association,  conceived  the  idea  of  offering  a prize  of  $100,000  for 
the  best  plan  of  utilizing  the  current  of  Niagara  River.  He  and  over  one  hundred 
others  subscribed  $1,000  each  to  a fund  for  the  purpose,  and  the  attention  of  scien- 
tific men  in  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world  was  directed  to  the  problem.  This 
problem  has  been  solved  in  the  development  of  the  tunnel  project. 

Mr.  Stafford  is  a keen,  shrewd,  level-headed  business  man,  and  has  made  a large 
fortune  by  judicious  investments  in  Buffalo  real  estate.  He  believes  that  Buffalo 
will  have  a million  population  within  ten  years,  as  a result  of  an  industrial  revolu- 
tion in  this  city  that  will  amaze  the  world,  the  chief  and  controlling  reason  for  which 
will  be  the  introduction  of  cheap  electric  power. 

In  the  Buffalo  Commercial  of  December  22,  1S91,  the  following  interview  with 
Mr.  Stafford  was  printed,  under  the  heading  “ Buffalo’s  Gold  Mine 

“ If  the  richest  gold  mine  in  the  whole  world  were  discovered  in  a suburb  of  Buffalo,  what  effect 
do  you  suppose  it  would  have  on  our  people?”  asked  Mr.  James  B.  Stafford  of  a Commercial  reporter. 

“ There  would  be  tremendous  excitement,  of  course,”  was  the  reply. 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD 


the  buffalo  library. 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


“ There  would,”  returned  Mr.  Stafford  ; “ but  do  you  know  that  the  richest  gold  mine  in  the  world 
would  be  p mere  bagatelle  compared  with  the  wealth  that  will  spring  from  the  Niagara  Falls  tunnel  ? 
Do  our  people  stop  to  think  what  it  means?  It  means  prosperity  for  Buffalo  bevond  the  wildest 
present  expectation.  I believe  I speak  entirely  within  bounds  when  I say  that  it  will  make  Buffalo  the 
second  greatest  city  in  the  whole  United  States,  and  that  you  and  I won't  be  very  old  when  our  city 
reaches  that  place.  Looking  into  the  immediate  future,  I will  prophesy  that  we  will  have  a million 
population  within  ten  years. 

“Just  look  about  you  and  see  what  electricity  has  already  done  for  the  world,  and  yet  we  are 
scarcely  entered  upon  the  Electric  Age.  We  are  at  the  dawn  of  a new  era,  and  electricity,  now 
in  its  infancy,  will  grow  and  develop  until  it  revolutionizes  the  world.  It  will  give  us  power,  light, 
heat,  refrigeration.  It  will  do  everything  for  us  that  steam  now  does,  and  here  in  Buffalo  it  is  going 
to  cost  less  than  water  power.” 

“ What  does  it  cost  manufacturers  for  power  now  ?” 

“ The  water  power  of  the  country  now  in  use  costs  from  $16.67  per  horse-power  per  year  at  Lock- 
port  to  $56  25  at  Manayunk,  Pa.,  while  steam  costs  all  the  way  from  $35  to  $r 7 5 per  horse-power  per 
annum. 

“ When  we  consider  that  the  entire  power  going  to  waste  at  the  Falls  is  one-seventh  of  the  entire 
power  of  the  world  one  can  comprehend  what  an  inexhaustible  mine  of  wealth  we  are  on  the  eve  of 
developing.  Already  the  problem  of  transmitting  electricity  long  distances  without  much  waste  has 
been  solved.  Other  companies  are  in  the  field,  and  before  many  years  instead  of  125,000  horse  power 
there  will  probably  be  a million.  Buffalo  being  the  nearest  large  city  to  the  great  cataract,  it  will  be 
the  first  to  receive  the  benefits. 

“ Just  let  your  mind  run  forward  a dozen  years.  Electricity  running  through  cables  from  the  Falls 
will  act  on  our  city  like  the  warm  blood  running  through  a human  body,  will  permeate  every  part  of 
the  city,  running  2,000  horse-power  engines  as  easily  as  the  dentist’s  drill  or  the  family  sewing  machine. 
Every  wheel  in  Buffalo  will  be  eventually  turned  by  electricity.  It  will  light  and  heat  our  houses.  It 
will  be  cheaper  than  anything  else.  The  impetus  that  it  will  give  our  manufacturing  enterprises  will 
be  incalculable. 

“ Add  to  all  this  our  great  natural  advantages  and  no  wonder  our  expectations  should  be  great. 
We  are  midway  between  the  great  producing  regions  of  the  West  and  the  more  thickly  populated  sections 
of  the  East,  with  its  continually  increasing  export  trade.  What  better  point  could  be  found  for  the 
manufacturing  centre  of  the  country  ? Here  all  the  shipping  from  the  western  chain  of  lakes  dis- 
charges its  cargoes  of  grain,  lumber,  ore,  etc.,  reloading  with  up-cargoes  of  coal  (and  all  the  great  coal- 
carrying transportation  corporations  have  branches  that  now  terminate  in  this  city),  laying  at  the  door 
of  the  manufacturer  the  raw  material  at  the  lowest  possible  freight  rate,  with  twenty-six  lines  of  rail- 
roads leading  from  here  in  every  direction  (many  of  them  trunk  lines),  with  a canal  and  waterway  to  the 
seaboard  giving  the  manufacturer  the  finest  shipping  facilities  possible. 

“ Buffalo  already  boasts  of  the  largest  coal  distributing  point  in  the  world  , the  largest  sheep  and 
fresh  fish  market  in  the  world  ; one  of  the  largest  horse  markets  ; the  largest  grain  distributing  point 
in  the  world  ; the  second  largest  cattle  market  in  the  world  ; we  are  destined  to  be  the  largest  flour 
milling  city  in  the  world,  and  with  our  suburban  port  of  Tonawanda  we  have  the  largest  lumber  mar- 
ket in  the  world. 

“ In  the  last  ten  years  We  have  increased  our  population  89  per  cent.,  and  with  this  new  and 
wonderful  factor  that  no  other  city  in  the  world’s  history  has  ever  had,  it  is  not  a wild  statement  to 
make,  but  one  that  the  present  outlook  would  warrant,  that  Buffalo  and  not  Chicago  will  be  the  second 
American  city.” 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


28 


ELECTRIC  POWER  ON  THE  CANADIAN  SIDE. 

Col.  Albert  D.  Shaw,  formerly  U.  S.  Consul  at  Montreal,  Canada,  and  later  at 
Manchester,  England,  is  at  the  head  of  a company  which  proposes  to  produce  elec- 
tricity on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  Niagara  River.  This  company  has  secured  the 
passage  of  a bill  through  the  Ontario  Parliament  permitting  the  incorporation  of  a 
company  with  a capitalization  of  $3,000,000,  and  a privilege  of  bonding  to  the  extent 
of  $5,000,000,  with  the  object  of  producing  electricity  by  means  of  a tunnel  upon  the 
Canadian  side. 

In  conversation  with  a writer  for  the  Philadelphia  Press,  in  April  of  this  year,  Col. 
Shaw  said  the  Canadian  company  had  not  been  organized  to  compete  with  the 
American  company,  but  rather  to  supplement  and  act  in  concert  with  it.  He  ex- 
plained that  as  the  land  on  the  Canadian  side  is  devoted  to  park  purposes,  it  cannot 
be  used  for  the  location  of  manufactories,  and  therefore  the  power  produced  must 
be  transmitted  to  other  points.  In  this  connection  he  went  on  to  say  : 

“ Such  power  can  certainly  be  carried  to  Buffalo.  An  electrical  plant  has  been  established  about 
16  miles  from  the  city  of  Rome,  N.  Y.,  and  the  power  there  furnished  is  conveyed  to  Rome  with  per- 
fectly satisfactory  results.  Buffalo  is  only  a little  more  than  20  miles  from  Niagara,  and  with  the 
higher  voltage  which  can  be  obtained  there  is  no  doubt  that  city  can  be  furnished  with  electric  power 
sufficient  to  run  all  the  manufactories  of  New  York  State  were  they  located  there.  After  our  company 
is  organized  in  harmony  with  the  New  York  company  we  shall  begin  work,  and  I think  can  complete 
it  within  a year.” 

“ The  water  power  furnished  by  the  Niagara  River  above  the  Falls,”  continued  Col.  Shaw,  “is 
estimated  to  be  equivalent  to  3 000,000  horse-power.  When  we  recollect  that  the  Connecticut  River 
at  Holyoke  only  furnishes  about  24,000  horse-power,  and  the  river  at  Minneapolis  only  18,000,  some 
idea  can  be  obtained  of  this  enormous  power  which  has  hitherto  been  going  to  waste.  The  American 
company  has  built  a tunnel  8, coo  feet  long.  The  entrance  to  it  is  a long  distance  above  the  Falls, 
and  the  exit  where  the  waste  water  flows  into  the  Niagara  River  is  just  below  the  suspension  bridge. 
This  tunnel  is  capable  of  furnishing  power  equivalent  to  140,000  horse-power,  an  amount  of  power 
which  vastly  exceeds  anything  furnished  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  The  Niagara  River  never  runs 
dry.  There  never  is  an  appreciable  diminution  in  its  body  of  water.  Everywhere  else  where  water 
power  is  used  manufactories  are  compelled  either  to  have  a steam  plant  which  can  be  relied  upon  in  dry 
weather,  or  else  to  run  the  risk  of  shutting  down  for  lack  of  power.  That  can  never  happen  on  the 
banks  of  the  Niagara.” 

Col.  Shaw  went  on  to  speak  of  the  plans  of  the  American  company,  with  which 
he  is  familiar.  After  stating  that  manufacturers  from  all  parts  of  the  country  have 
been  in  communication  with  the  American  company  with  a view  of  locating  plants  in 
the  city  of  Buffalo,  and  that  expert  engineers  estimate  that  the  electric  power  which 
can  be  developed  and  furnished  will  be  practically  illimitable,  he  said  : 

“ The  Canadian  company  will  be  able  to  furnish  tremendous  voltage  whenever  wires  properly  in- 
sulated are  ready  to  receive  it.  The  New  York  capitalists  who  virtually  own  the  American  company, 
and  will  be  in  harmony  with  the  Canadian,  are  even  more  enthusiastic  than  they  are  in  Buffalo.  I 
have  talked  with  a number  of  them  since  I have  been  in  the  city.  They  are  careful  men,  not  likely  to 


BUFFALO:  T H E E L E C T R I C C I T Y . 


29 


be  carried  away  with  false  enthusiasm,  and  who  look  at  such  things  purely  from  a commercial  point  of 
view.  They  are  of  opinion,  as  I am,  and  as  everybody  else  is  who  has  made  a study  of  this  matter, 
that  the  great  manufacturing  city  of  the  future  is  to  be  located  upon  the  bank  of  the  Niagara  River, 
and  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  city  of  Buffalo  will  extend  from  its  present  site  full  twenty 
miles  to  the  north.  The  number  of  manufactories  which  have  already  decided  to  move  from  various 
other  towns,  some  of  them  in  the  far  West,  to  Buffalo,  is  an  indication  of  what  the  future  will  be. 

“The  power  is  permanent  and  is  dependent  upon  no  changes  of  the  weather.  Moreover,  it  is 
cheap  power,  and  will  always  be  sufficient,  no  matter  how  greatly  any  manufacturer  may  desire  to 
increase  his  plant.  Furthermore,  the  contiguity  of  this  place  to  convenient  transportation  is  another 
temptation  to  manufacturers.  For  instance,  it  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  grain  of  the  West  can 
be  brought  there  and  manufactured  into  flour  at  least  io  cents  a barrel  cheaper  than  in  the  great  mill- 
ing cities  of  the  West,  and  that  of  itself  is  a handsome  profit. 

“ Furthermore,  transportation  charges,  such  is  the  relation  of  Buffalo  and  its  vicinity  to  water  and 
rail  routes,  will  be  cheaper  there  than  at  any  other  manufacturing  center  in  the  United  States.  The 
raw  material  can  be  brought  either  by  the  lakes  or  by  rail  to  the  doors  of  the  mill,  and  the  finished 
product  can  be  sent  out  by  lake,  by  the  Canadian  Canal  to  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  by  the  Erie  Canal 
during  the  season  when  water  transportation  is  open,  and  there  are  26  different  lines  of  railway  center- 
ing there  The  manufacturers  have  been  figuring  pretty  closely.  Competition  is  so  great  that  it  is 
frequently  the  economies  which  represent  the  difference  between  success  and  failure,  profit  and  loss. 
AH  those  of  them  who  have  already  decided  to  locate  in  that  vicinity  and  utilize  this  great  power  are 
of  opinion  that  the  saving  in  expenses  will  of  itself  represent  a fair  profit  on  the  capital  invested. 
Within  20  years  it  would  not  be  surprising  to  see  a city,  or  a link  of  cities  practically  one,  containing 
1,000,000  people,  and  perhaps  the  largest  capital  investment  in  manufacturing  in  the  United  States, 
with  perhaps  one  or  two  exceptions. 

“ It  is  strange  that  this  magnificent  power  which  has  been  wasted  heretofore  should  not  have  had 
earlier  development.  Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  develop  it.  but  capital  has  been  timid  until 
some  of  the  great  financial  geniuses  of  New  York  City  became  interested.” 


ELECTRICITY  IN  THE  HOUSEHOLD. 

It  is  certain  that  electricity  will  be  so  cheap  and  plentiful  in  Buffalo  that  it  will 
come  into  general  use  in  the  homes  of  our  people.  It  will  be  cheaper  than  gas  for 
light,  and  coal  for  heat.  It  will  run  the  family  sewing  machine.  The  electric  motor 
will  become  a part  of  every  well-ordered  household. 

The  Scientific  American , speaking  of  the  new  uses  of  electricity  coming  in  the 
train  of  its  cheap  production,  says  : 

“ Domestic  life  will  be  attended  with  many  comforts  and  conveniences.  The  cook  will  only  need 
to  touch  a button,  and  presto,  her  electrical  stove  will  be  in  full  operation,  the  pot  will  boil,  the  oven 
bake,  the  turkey  roast,  the  pump  move,  the  washing  machine  turn  ; while  the  electric  refrigerator  will 
freeze  the  water,  preserve  the  meats,  vegetables,  milk,  butter,  eggs,  and  other  supplies.  No  coal,  no 
wood,  no  dust,  no  dirt,  no  oil,  no  gas.  The  lady  of  the  house  will  be  relieved  of  care.  She  presses  a 
button,  and  every  nook  and  corner  of  her  dwelling  glows  with  cheerful  light.  Touch  another  and  the 
electric  fire  glimmers  in  every  room,  diffusing  genial  warmth.  The  electric  lift  takes  her  up  or  down 
stairs.  The  telephone  conveys  her  orders  to  market,  and  distributes  her  social  commands  among 
friends  and  neighbors.” 


Nature  at  Her  loveliest  tHe  park  Lake. 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


31 


ELECTRICITY’S  MANIFOLD  USES. 

In  the  same  article  occurs  a concise  statement  of  the  varied  uses  to  which  the  in- 
coming low-priced  power  will  be  applied  in  Buffalo.  It  is  as  follows  : 

“ Near  to  Niagara,  only  twenty-two  miles  distant,  is  Buffalo,  already  a large  and  prosperous  city, 
the  head  centre  of  lake  navigation.  The  simple  extension  of  conductors  over  the  short  distance  above 
mentioned  will  bring  to  the  people  of  Buffalo  direct  share  in  the  economic  and  other  advantages  of  the 
new  and  great  enterprise.  Light,  heat  and  motive  power  for  streets,  vehicles  works,  shops,  factories, 
stores,  churches,  dwellings,  can  be  supplied  from  the  dynamos  at  Niagara  more  economically,  probably, 
than  by  any  other  means.  Local  steam  engines  may  be  dismissed  ; their  occupation,  for  Buffalo,  will 
be  gone.  Even  the  steam  fire  engines  may  retire.  The  electric  pump  will  beat  them  out  of  sight.” 

PLENTY  OF  BANKING  CAPITAL. 

Buffalo  is  blessed  with  splendid  banking  facilities.  There  are  now  nineteen 
banks  of  deposit  in  the  city  with  a total  capital  of  nearly  five  million  dollars  and  a 
reserve  of  nearly  eleven  millions.  Five  new  banks  have  been  started  here  since  the 
spring  of  1891.  Our  bankers  are  cautious,  conservative  business  men,  and  banking 
business  in  this  city  has  always  been  conducted  on  conservative  lines.  The  solid 
financiers  who  control  these  great  barometers  of  our  business  life  have  never  invited 
disaster  by  loose,  speculative  methods.  Like  the  arch  in  the  foundation  wall  of  a 
massive  structure,  gaining  strength  from  increased  weight,  has  been  the  prudence  of 
our  bankers,  and  to-day  our  banking  institutions  rest  upon  secure  foundation  and  are 
ready  for  the  branching  out  and  growth  that  will  come  to  them  with  the  rapid  increase 
in  industrial  enterprises  resulting  from  the  world's  cheapest  power.  Prudence  has 
been  the  watchword  of  success  in  the  past,  and  it  will  continue  as  the  governor  in 
the  greater  transactions  of  the  greater  future. 

OUR  LOW  TAX  RATE. 

Some  facts  about  Buffalo’s  tax  rate  are  fitting  at  this  time.  In  a carefully  written 
article  from  the  pen  of  the  Hon.  Charles  F.  Bishop,  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  printed  in 
the  Sunday  Express  of  April  3,  1892,  the  following  facts  are  given  : 

“ Property  in  Buffalo  is  assessed  at  much  less  than  its  real  value,  and  its  tax  rate  has  for  many 
years,  for  all  purposes  (State,  County  and  City)  except  local  improvemerits,  averaged  about  two  dollars 
per  hundred  on  the  assessment.  At  first  thought  this  may  seem  high,  but  a careful  examination  of  the 
reports  of  other  cities  shows  that  the  rate  elsewhere  is  generally  much  higher.  In  New  York  it  is  $1.95  ; 
in  Chicago  $5.00  ; in  Brooklyn  $2.57  ; in  Cleveland  it  is  $2.79  ; in  Cincinnati  $2.85.  And  this  reason- 
able rate  of  taxation  is  not  obtained  by  rapid  increase  of  our  bonded  indebtedness  except  for  acquiring 
valuable  property  for  permanent  use,  or  the  extension  of  great  public  improvements. 

" Indeed,  so  careful  has  the  increase  of  indebtedness  been  guarded  that  now  with  an  indebtedness 
of  $11,464,531  the  city  is  the  owner  of  real  estate  valued,  in  1890,  at  $7,804,267  and  personal  property 
valued  at  $6,828,765.  . Surely  this  statement  shows  a due  regard  for  the  tax-payers’  interests  ; and 


32 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


coupled  with  the  fact  that  Buffalo  maintains  school  facilities  as  good  as  those  of  any  city,  police  and 
fire  departments  that  for  efficiency  are  unsurpassed,  and  furnishes  a water  supply  that  for  purity  and 
cheapness  is  unequaled,  it  presents  a very  well-grounded  claim  for  municipal  economy. 

“The  total  of  assessments  annually  shows  a gratifying  increase  of  wealth,  and  of  necessity  the  ex- 
penses of  the  city  must  also  increase  with  greater  population  to  serve  and  more  extended  public  im- 
provements to  maintain.  I am  sanguine,  however,  that  in  a few  years  the  increase  in  values  will  create 
a noticeable  decrease  of  tax  rate.” 


OUR  CITY  WATER. 

Buffalo’s  source  of  water  supply  is  the  same  as  the  source  of  our  marvelous  elec- 
tric power.  It  is  the  Niagara.  We  get  it  pure  and  undefiled,  in  unlimited  quantity, 
and  it  is  as  cheap  as  it  is  pure  and  plentiful.  The  service  is  under  the  control  of  the 
city  government.  Our  water  rates  are  cheaper  than  those  in  any  other  large  city  in 
the  country,  manufacturers  are  given  very  low  special  rates,  and  yet  there  are  several 
hundred  thousand  dollars  available  every  year  for  further  extensions  to  keep  pace 
with  the  rapid  growth  of  the  city,  which  is  constantly  pushing  out  and  developing  in 
new  sections.  The  pumping  engines  and  entire  plant  are  first-class  in  every  par- 
ticular. 

Niagara’s  water,  as  is  generally  known,  comes  down  from  the  great  lakes,  and 
enters  the  river  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Erie,  where  Buffalo  is  located.  A mile  down 
stream  is  an  inlet  pier  through  which  the  water  supply  for  the  city  is  drawn  by  mam- 
moth pumping  engines.  Analysis  shows  that  there  is  no  organic  matter  in  the  water, 
and  that  it  is  absolutely  pure.  There  is  an  entire  absence  of  any  possibility  of  its 
being  defiled  before  it  reaches  Buffalo.  All  dredgings  from  the  Buffalo  harbor  and 
river,  canal  and  slips  must  be  and  are,  as  provided  by  stringent  law,  dumped  below 
the  inlet  pier. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  this  great  requisite  in  the  health  and  prosperity  of  a city 
is  assured  in  pure  and  unlimited  supply  forever. 


NATURAL  GAS  FUEL. 

A very  large  section  of  the  residence  portion  of  Buffalo  is  supplied  with  natural 
gas  fuel.  It  is  brought  in  pipes  from  Pennsylvania,  and  also  from  Canada,  and  is  ex- 
tensively used  for  fuel  in  this  city.  It  is  sold  to  consumers  for  25  cents  per  thou- 
sand feet  net,  and  on  an  average  costs  no  more  than  coal.  The  freedom  which  it 
gives  from  the  task  of  handling  coal  and  ashes,  and  the  entire  absence  of  dust  and 
dirt  in  connection  with  its  use,  are  greatly  appreciated  in  thousands  of  Buffalo  homes. 
The  Canadian  supply  gives  rich  promise  of  abundant  yield,  and  its  principal  market 
is  in  Buffalo.  The  source  of  the  Canadian  supply  is  only  a few  miles  from  Buffalo. 
The  tremendous  extent  of  the  Pennsylvania  field  is  well  known. 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


33 


WATERWORKS  POWER  HOUSE  AND  INLET  PIER  IN  NIAGARA  RIVER. 


34 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


ELECTRICITY  SUPPLANTING  STEAM. 

As  electric  power  has  heretofore  been  produced,  for  the  most  part,  by  the  con- 
sumption of  coal  and  evaporation  of  steam,  it  has  had  to  compete  with  steam  on 
disadvantageous  terms,  as  the  steam  lay  one  step  nearer  the  base  of  the  power, 
namely,  the  fuel. 

Coal  produced  steam  ; steam,  in  turn,  produced  electricity  ; and  as  success  in 
any  line  of  manufacture  consists  largely  in  the  application  of  economical  methods, 
steam  power  has  been  preferred  to  electric  power  because  it  has  been  cheaper,  except, 
probably,  in  running  small  plants  with  electricity  supplied  from  a central  station.  In 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  this  is  done  to  a very  considerable  extent,  the  idea  being  that  elec- 
tricity produced  by  steam  can  be  furnished  from  a central  station  to  many  small 
factories  as  cheaply  or  almost  as  cheaply  as  steam  power  could  be  produced  on  a 
small  scale  in  each  one  of  the  factories.  The  centralization  of  the  power  economizes 
both  in  machinery  and  labor.  In  larger  plants,  however,  it  has  been  found  impossi- 
ble to  produce  electricity  from  steam  power  to  compete  with  steam.  Waste  in  the 
process,  steam  being  the  parent  force,  prevents  a pound  of  coal  from  producing  as 
much  electric  power  as  steam  power.  To  accomplish  such  a thing  would  be  like 
turning  base  metal  into  gold. 

But  with  electric  power  produced  by  the  water  power  of  the  Niagara  Falls  tun- 
nel, steam  is  dethroned  as  the  King  of  Force.  Electricity  takes  its  place  and  builds 
an  empire  on  the  banks  of  the  Niagara.  And  the  heart  of  that  empire  is  Buffalo, 
and  will  be  forever.  The  wonderful  power  has  its  source  near  to  us  ; only  a few 
miles  of  copper  wire  brings  it  to  our  workshops  ; and  here  are  concentrated  shipping 
facilities  unequaled  upon  the  continent.  Economy  in  collecting  the  raw  material, 
and  distributing  it  again  in  the  shape  of  manufactured  articles,  is  as  important  as 
economy  in  manufacturing.  With  cheap  power  from  the  Niagara  we  have  the  two 
great  economies  joined.  What  a tremendous  aggregation  of  advantages ! No 
wonder  conservative  business  men  prophesy  a million  population  for  Buffalo  within 
ten  years.  No  wonder  the  New  York  Tribune  says  that  our  “manifest  destiny  is 
evidently  to  be  something  tremendous.” 

ROOM  IN  WHICH  TO  GROW. 

When  a person  undertakes  to  point  out  sections  of  Buffalo  that  will  be  most  af- 
fected by  cheap  electric  power  he  is  confronted  with  a difficult  task.  It  is  certain 
that  the  entire  manufacturing  district  will  at  once  respond  to  the  vivifying  influence 
of  the  electric  currents,  and  that  new  industrial  sections  will  be  opened  up  at  many 
points.  Manufactories  will  be  enlarged,  hundreds  of  new  ones  will  be  started,  as 
hundreds  of  manufacturers  from  the  outside  will  crowd  in  to  take  advantage  of  the 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


35 


splendid  opportunities  open  to  all.  Fortunately,  we  have  a great  deal  of  room  in 
which  factories  may  grow  and  spread,  and  as  the  railroads  tap  a very  large  portion 
of  the  city,  there  need  be  no  fear  of  restricted  shipping  facilities.  Although  Buffalo 
has  a population  of  nearly  300,000,  its  population  per  acre  is  only  10.23.  St.  Louis 
is  1 1.5 1 ; Cleveland,  16.41  ; Cincinnati,  18.56  ; San  Francisco,  30.22  ; Brooklyn, 
47.62  ; New  York,  58.87. 

These  figures  are  full  of  suggestion.  There  is  room  in  Buffalo.  And  beyond 
the  city  line  there  are  thousands  of  broad  acres  ready  to  be  used  for  factories  or 
homes. 

There  has  been  a steady,  legitimate  increase  in  values  in  all  parts  of  the  city  and 
surrounding  country.  Particularly  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  to  the  north  of 
the  park,  among  lands  lying  in  the  direction  from  which  the  electric  currents  will 
flow,  there  has  been  a strong  movement,  and  it  is  probably  true  that  this  foreshadows 
a growth  in  values  that  will  be  startling  to  many. 

Far-seeing  men  forecast  the  future  by  picturing  a city  that  will  grow  towards  the 
seat  of  the  electric  current,  followed  always  by  the  railroads  in  the  path  of  progress, 
until  Tonawanda  is  reached  and  absorbed  ; and  stretching  further  still,  will  finally 
reach  the  great  cataract  itself.  Is  this  too  much  to  expect  of  a city  that  holds  within 
its  exclusive  grasp  the  two  great  economies — cheap  power,  cheap  freights  ! It  is 
well  to  keep  these  two  things  steadily  in  mind. 

But  as  the  city  grows  in  length  it  will  grow  in  breadth.  It  will  widen  out  on  all 
sides,  and  all  parts  of  the  city  will  share  in  the  general  prosperity. 

THE  PHILADELPHIA  & READING. 

Nothing  gives  better  evidence  of  the  growing  importance  of  Buffalo  than  recent 
action  of  the  Philadelphia  & Reading  Railroad  Company.  This  great  company  has 
at  Philadelphia  and  along  the  Delaware  River  greater  terminal  facilities  than  any 
other  railroad  company  operating  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  In  February,  1892,  it 
obtained  control  of  the  Lehigh  Valley  system,  thereby  securing  a direct  route  from 
Buffalo  to  Philadelphia.  The  new  and  more  active  management  saw  the  tre- 
mendous importance  of  obtaining  a foothold  in  Buffalo,  which  already  holds  the  key 
to  the  traffic  of  the  great  lakes,  and  now  stands  upon  the  verge  of  extraordinary  manu- 
facturing development  by  reason  of  Niagara’s  cheap  and  unlimited  power.  Within 
a comparatively  few  years  Buffalo  will  be  the  chief  manufacturing  center  of  the 
country  ; the  possibilities  of  traffic  radiating  from  this  point  are  boundless.  It  was 
a master  stroke  of  President  McLeod  of  the  Philadelphia  & Reading  to  establish  his 
railroad  securely  in  Buffalo.  It  is  a well-known  fact  that  the  Lehigh  Valley  has  the 
best  terminal  facilities  of  all  the  railroads  centering  here.  Within  the  past  few  years 
millions  have  been  spent  in  perfecting  them. 


36 


THE  NE  W WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


Following  this  stroke  with  the  Lehigh  Valley,  the  Philadelphia  & Reading  made 
a traffic  contract  with  the  Buffalo,  Rochester  & Pittsburg  for  fifty  years,  giving  still 
further  evidence  of  belief  in  Buffalo. 

The  export  business  of  the  Philadelphia  & Reading  is  vast,  operating  as  it  does 
in  connection  with  a line  of  transatlantic  steamers,  and  this  opens  up  a new  line  of 
thought.  The  impetus  given  by  cheap  and  plentiful  power  to  manufacturing  in  old 
and  many  new  directions  in  Buffalo  will  of  course  be  very  great,  and  it  is  certain 
that  thousands  of  industries  depending  upon  export  trade  will  flourish  here,  close  to 
the  storehouses  of  the  raw  material  and  of  the  world’s  cheapest  power.  Numerous 
avenues  to  the  seaboard  are  therefore  an  essential  part  of  the  grand  plan  of  our  in- 
dustrial prosperity,  and  the  addition  of  the  Philadelphia  & Reading  is  one  of  very 
great  importance. 

Yet  this  should  always  be  held  in  mind — would  the  Philadelphia  & Reading  have 
reached  out  after  Buffalo  business  if  it  had  not  been  worth  while  reaching  for?  The 
fact  is  that  we  attract  great  transportation  enterprises  as  the  magnet  does  the  needle. 


THE  UNION  IRON  WORKS. 

During  the  present  summer  the  Union  Iron  Works,  long  unused,  are  being  re- 
built in  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  the  plans  calling  for  one  of  the  finest  plants  of 
the  kind  in  the  United  States.  Part  of  the  plant  will  be  used  for  the  manufacture  of 
steel,  and  at  the  beginning  a force  of  about  1,200  men  will  be  employed  in  this  part 
of  the  works  alone,  in  three  shifts  of  eight  hours  each,  work  being  constant  night 
and  day  all  the  year  ’round. 

What  stimulus  is  it  that  brings  this  industry  into  life  ? Why  was  it  not  located  at 
any  one  of  a dozen  other  points  that  might  be  named  ? Why  wasn't  it  located  close 
to  the  iron  mines?  These  and  all  other  collateral  questions  have  already  been 
answered  in  this  volume.  We  have  power  cheaper  than  the  cheapest  anywhere  else, 
joined  with  transportation  facilities  that  are  unexcelled  — the  two  great  industrial 
economies  again,  cheap  power,  cheap  freights. 


THE  COPPER  INDUSTRY. 

One  of  the  largest  aggregations  of  capital  in  the  world  is  the  Calumet  & Hecla 
Smelting  Company.  It  controls  the  rich  copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior  with  all  their 
inexhaustible  stores  of  wealth.  Two  years  ago  the  company  bought  a very  large 
tract  of  land  on  the  banks  of  the  Niagara  within  the  city  limits  of  Buffalo,  and 
began  the  construction  of  an  extensive  smelting  works.  The  ore  is  brought  here 
direct  from  the  mines,  and  here  it  is  reduced  and  the  whole  output  of  the  mines 
distributed  from  this  point.  Why  did  the  Calumet  & Hecla  Company  locate  in  Buf- 


38 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


falo  ? Because  of  its  peerless  location  as  a distributing  centre  for  one  thing,  and 
cheap  electric  power  for  another. 

Not  long  ago,  in  Buffalo,  a live  electric  wire  fell  athwart  a lamp  post,  and  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  the  iron  was  fused  by  the  current.  That  was  smelting  by  elec- 
tricity. The  brainy  men  of  the  Calumet  & Hecla  Company  knew  what  they  were 
doing  when  they  located  beside  Buffalo’s  electric  power  house. 

ENORMOUS  MANUFACTURING  CAPITAL. 

The  foregoing  are  simply  instances  of  many  new  enterprises  that  have  lately 
been  started  in  Buffalo.  The  manufacturing  establishments  of  this  city  tripled  during 
the  ten  years  between  1880  and  1890,  and  the  proportion  of  increase  since  1890  has 
been  much  greater  than  before.  It  is  believed  that  the  capital  invested  in  manu- 
facturing enterprises  of  all  kinds  in  Buffalo  amounts  to  nearly  $100,000,000.  What 
will  it  be  after  the  full  force  of  Niagara’s  lightning  has  struck  us? 

AN  ETERNAL  POWER  HOUSE. 

The  source  of  Buffalo’s  electrical  power  is  the  force  in  running  water,  but  unlike 
almost  every  other  water  power  it  is  never-ceasing.  Its  supply  comes  from  the  hills 
and  watersheds  of  half  a continent.  The  Niagara  can  never  run  dry,  can  never 
diminish  in  volume  to  make  an  iota  of  difference.  It  is  the  narrow  end  of  a funnel 
through  which  a resistless  force  must  ever  flow.  It  is  a force  that  will  always  exist. 
For  all  time  the  power  of  the  Niagara  developed  into  electricity  will  turn  the  wheels 
of  industry  within  the  great  city  upon  its  banks.  No  emergency  steam  plants  will  be 
needed,  as  on  the  banks  of  many  rivers,  to  supply  the  place  of  failing  water  power. 
Niagara’s  power  is  eternal. 


A GREAT  FIELD  FOR  INVESTORS. 

Nowhere  on.  the  North  American  continent  is  there  so  grand  a field  for  investment 
as  in  Buffalo.  Values  here  have  been  and  are  phenomenally  low.  It  has  been  and 
is  a conservative  city.  There  has  never  been  a boom  in  Buffalo.  There  has  been  in- 
crease in  values,  but  no  inflation,  no  boom.  Talk  of  a Buffalo  boom  has  been  heard, 
but  the  presence  of  a boom  is  here  denied  most  emphatically  and  earnestly.  Values 
in  Buffalo  and  vicinity  are  lower  than  in  any  other  progressive  city  of  its  size  in  the 
country.  There  has  been  so  much  available  land  that  inflation  has  been  checked.  A 
great  deal  of  Buffalo  property  has  changed  hands  within  the  past  year  or  two,  but  at 
very  reasonable  figures.  Millions  will  be  made  within  a few  years  by  landholders, 
and  without  effort  on  their  part.  A dollar  planted  in  the  soil  of  Buffalo  today  will 
spring  up  as  two  dollars  next  year. 


BUFFALO:  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY. 


39 


When  a city  doubles  its  population  it  at  the  same  time  quadruples  the  value  of 
its  real  estate.  It  is  freely  prophesied  that  Buffalo’s  population  will  be  doubled  in 
five  years,  quadrupled  in  ten.  The  cheapest  power  in  the  world  and  unequalled 
shipping  facilities  — by  railroad,  lake  and  canal  — will  produce  this  wonderful  meta- 
morphosis. 

Cheap  power  ! Cheap  freights  ! A world  of  wealth  is  contained  in  the  combi- 
nation. 

Buffalo  has  a most  substantial  foundation  on  which  to  build  a manufacturing 
metropolis.  It  is  a conservative  city,  full  of  careful,  cautious  business  men.  It  has 
come  along  by  comparatively  slow  and  always  steady  progress,  taking  no  forward 
step  until  strong  and  ready  for  it.  Commercial  depressions  have  affected  us  but 
little.  Panics  have  avoided  us,  for  panics  are  like  plagues  and  seize  hold  where  the 
conditions  are  unhealthy.  We  have  had  neither  plagues  nor  panics  ; we  have  a 
healthy  city  physically  and  financially. 

Now  a new  era  has  dawned.  We  are  about  to  leap  to  an  eminence  undreamed 
of  in  years  gone  by.  Strong  from  the  strength  of  right  business  living  we  are  equal 
to  the  swifter  pace  of  the  new  order  of  things.  The  sublime  force  of  the  Niagara  is 
chained  and  diverted  to  manufacturing  uses.  Every  wheel  in  Buffalo  will  be  turned 
by  this  marvelous  power  at  far  less  cost  than  machinery  can  be  run  anywhere  else  in 
the  wide  world.  There’s  a giant  force  behind  the  leap.  Cheap  power  ! Cheap 
freights  ! These  are  the  talismanic  symbols  of  a mighty  greatness. 

GREAT  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  LAKE  TRAFFIC. 

The  Review  of  Reviews , in  a recent  article  on  the  traffic  of  the  Great  Lakes, 
proves  the  extraordinary  importance  of  this  traffic  and  of  Buffalo’s  location  from  a 
commercial  standpoint.  It  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  great  bulk  of  the 
lake  traffic  is  tributary  to  Buffalo.  The  article  referred  to  is  as  follows  : 

“ Few  persons  who  have  not  made  a personal  study  of  the  matter  realize  the  magnitude  of  the 
traffic  of  the  Great  Lakes.  There  were  over  1,100  more  vessels  passing  through  the  canal  into  Duluth, 
Minnesota,  in  1891,  than  passed  through  the  Suez  Canal  the  year  previous.  Through  the  “ Soo  ” 
Canal  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior  there  were  more  than  three  times  as  many  vessels  and  nearly  a 
million  and  three-quarters  tons  more  freight  in  1890  than  through  the  Suez  Canal  during  the  same 
year.  There  is  not  the  same  absolute  record  of  vessels  passing  through  the  Detroit  River  as  is  obtain- 
able for  the  two  points  previously  mentioned.  But  an  estimate  made  by  Hon.  George  H.  Ely,  of 
Cleveland,  shows  that  in  1889  there  were  more  than  36,000,000  tons  of  freight  carried  through  the 
Detroit  River.  This  sum  seems  large  when  it  is  stated  by  itself,  but  the  real  magnitude  will  perhaps 
be  better  appreciated  when  it  is  known  that  this  is  10,000,000  tons  in  excess  of  the  tonnage  at  all  the 
seaports  of  the  United  States  for  the  same  year,  and  3,000,000  tons  in  excess  of  the  total  arrivals  and 
clearances,  both  coastwise  and  foreign,  of  Liverpool  and  London  combined.  The  arrivals  and  clear- 
ances of  vessels  at  Chicago  for  1890  numbered  21,541,  while  the  corresponding  aggregate  for  New 
York  was  but  15,283.  The  entries  and  clearances  for  the  entire  seaboard  of  the  United  States  in  that 
year  were  37,756,  while  for  the  United  States  ports  on  the  Great  Lakes  the  arrivals  and  clearances 


40 


THE  NEW  WONDER  OF  THE  WORLD. 


numbered  88,280.  The  traffic  of  the  Great  Lakes  in  1891  was  27  per  cent  of  the  total  traffic  of  all  the 
railways  of  the  United  States  for  the  same  year,  and  if  the  tonnage  carried  on  the  lakes  had  been  carried 
instead  by  rail,  at  the  average  price  per  ton  per  mile,  it  would  have  cost,  in  round  numbers,  $150,000,000 
more  than  was  actually  paid  for  its  transportation  by  water. 


BEAUTIFUL  GRAND  ISLAND. 

Down  the  Niagara  river  from  Buffalo  a few  miles  the  noble  stream  divides  and 
forms  Grand  Island.  This  is  Buffalo’s  watering-place.  Hotels,  club  houses,  summer 
residences  and  public  pleasure  grounds  abound  all  along  the  river’s  banks  on  either 
side  of  the  island,  while  the  rich  farming  land  of  the  interior  is  devoted  to  agricul- 
ture. The  air  of  the  island  is  pure,  the  scenery  delightful,  and  the  ride  upon  the 
river  to  arid  from  the  city  is  full  of  restful  charm. 

Many  pleasure  steamers  ply  between  the  city  and  the  island  resorts,  and  do  a 
large  and  remunerative  business.  But  for  the  great  mass  of  busy  people  some  sort 
of  transit  more  rapid  than  steamers  is  necessary.  This  want  is  about  to  be  met.  A 
project  has  lately  ripened  to  build  a bridge  from  the  mainland  and  run  an  electric 
railroad  across  the  bridge  and  clear  around  the  island,  connecting  with  the  street  rail- 
road system  of  the  city.  Long-headed  men  foresee  that  when  this  is  accomplished 
there  will  be  a quick  and  large  appreciation  of  land  values  on  the  island,  and  it  is  cer- 
tain that  within  the  next  few  years  fortunes  will  be  made  in  Grand  Island  lands  as 
well  as  in  those  of  Buffalo  and  other  sections  of  the  mainland.  With  the  increased 
demand  for  manufacturing  sites,  industrial  enterprises  will  certainly  seek  that  portion 
of  the  island  nearest  to  Buffalo  and  Tonawanda,  and  the  other  side,  facing  Canada, 
will  continue  to  be  occupied  by  summer  resorts,  club-houses  and  residences. 


CONCLUSION. 

In  this  little  volume  an  effort  has  been  made  to  acquaint  the  reader  with  the 
splendid  present  and  the  glorious  future  of  Buffalo. 

Among  the  great  events  in  the  history  of  industrial  enterprises  the  turning  of 
Niagara’s  water  power  into  electric  force  is  one  of  the  most  portentious. 

A vast  field,  teeming  with  wealth,  lies  open  to  our  view,  and  the  tremendous 
possibilities  — nay,  the  certainties  — for  Buffalo  are  sharply  defined.  If  one  tunnel 
can  be  constructed,  so  can  two,  or  a dozen,  or  a score.  Power  will  keep  pace  with 
the  demand  for  it  — power  cheaper  than  any  other  on  the  face  of  the  earth  — and,  as 
it  can  be  easily  transmitted,  it  will  be  chiefly  used  where  it  can  be  best  used,  and  that 
is,  where  the  acme  of  shipping  facilities  is  found  and  must  always  concentrate,  in 
Buffalo. 

The  thunder  of  the  Niagara  will  remain  where  the  waters  leap,  but  its  swift 
lightning  is  Buffalo’s. 


AVEjiy  LIBRARY 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


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